Comic book writer Gail Simone asked Twitter users which villains or villainesses do they suspect are manifestations of creators’ sexual fetishes on Monday.
Name a fictional villain or villainess that you strongly suspect is pretty much 100% based on the creator's sexual fetish.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) November 4, 2019
GO!
Like we know that’s how 90% of villains were created, but once specific examples are pointed out, it’s hard to unsee them, you know?
*hides every single villain I’ve ever written*
— Doll Comics (@DollComics) November 4, 2019
I do not like this game Gail.
“Um…my bet is on EVERY villain/villainess is based on a sexual fetish,” Twitter user @amenakamel wrote. “But Catwoman is glaringly obvious — hello BDSM.”
https://twitter.com/amenakamel/status/1191500949228937217
Early and longtime X-Men comic book writer Chris Claremont, who co-created dozens of characters, was featured pretty heavily in the thread.
“I pretty much assume Chris Claremont was extremely horny for all 26 years he was writing X-Men,” Twitter user @john_heathen wrote.
I can spend a whole day on Chris Claremont creations alone!
— Jon W (@2plus2equals7) November 4, 2019
I pretty much assume Chris Claremont was extremely horny for all 26 years he was writing X-Men pic.twitter.com/H7jnFbStpf
— the crowned skull (@john_heathen) November 5, 2019
No one should get points for naming literally any character created by Chris Claremont. The man knew what he was doing and I respect that.
— LunchMan (@ZacAdkins90) November 4, 2019
In fact, most of the thread was dedicated to Claremont, who co-created the Hellfire Club, a fictional society inspired by the real-life Victorian-era secret society in which aristocrats drank, had kinky sex, and tried to summon the devil.
“Definitely the Hellfire Club,” Twitter user @Peposed wrote. “I mean, have you SEEN Sebastian Shaw’s muttonchops??”
Definitely the Hellfire Club.
— David Pepose @ The Con of Your Imagination (@Peposed) November 5, 2019
I mean, have you SEEN Sebastian Shaw's muttonchops?? pic.twitter.com/P3hMTHUdGa
Dark Phoenix… that lingerie… pic.twitter.com/RCyDn54AYE
— Paul Nery (@paulnery) November 4, 2019
Insert any given Claremont X-run villain here
— A Kind Of Computer Jawa (@EsserZed) November 5, 2019
Malice. Not the Sue Storm version, but the member of the Marauders who would possess a person's body and corrupt them. The physical manifestation of her/his/its power was its victim wearing a choker!
— Ludwig Bullworth Jackson (@BullworthLudwig) November 4, 2019
I started to write “even the Brood?” then realized… *especially* the Brood.
— ryarger (@ryarger) November 4, 2019
I'm sorry Chris but you seem to like ladies who would literally step on you pic.twitter.com/CAtXl73kzv
— Maurice Dutchleigh (it's Morris) (@Dutchtica) November 4, 2019
As it turns out, a lot of Claremont’s work seems to feature tentacles.
https://twitter.com/Philrato/status/1191570212421718016
Other non-Claremont guesses include Ruby Thursday, Warrior Woman, The Exterminatrix, and Sin–all Marvel characters.
Ruby Thursday pic.twitter.com/8YY8Ntphhh
— Clord TC (@captainclaude) November 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/LoneWolf23546/status/1191395411757539333
The Red Skull's daughter Sin, aka Mother Superior, and the Sisters of Sin. pic.twitter.com/eLacG6ehxl
— Tom Dennis (@thomasadennis) November 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/RaulIcochea/status/1191460298533806081
Though, to be fair, DC Comics also received its share of guesses.
“Bane is 100% the severe daddy Batman needs,” Twitter user @Agent_Armando wrote.
https://twitter.com/Agent_Armando/status/1191368572553089025
Bane. I mean, come on, a gimp mask (sorry, wrestling mask) AND practically no top?
— clutch girl (@alliecat345) November 4, 2019
Considering I'm pretty sure I saw him at an s&M bar my friend dragged me to, Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns.
— -A (@PGK87) November 5, 2019
Just like Marvel has Chris Claremont, DC has William Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman.
“I would guess every man Wonder Woman ever tied up was a stand in for William Marston,” Twitter user @d8d12 wrote.
I would guess every man Wonder Woman ever tied up was a stand in for William Marston.
— james Engelman (@d8d12) November 4, 2019
Cheetah. Eviless. Baroness Paula von Gunther…. Okay, all of Wonder Woman's villains. …well, all of the villains and heroines. And the men. A couple of the robots. Tools.
— Kevin O'Malley (@GawkerMademe1) November 5, 2019
I can't rule out the possibility that Marston harbored unclean thoughts about offset printing in general.
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